Black Tonic
by TheSixthApprentice
Summary: Axel, Zexion, and Vanitas are three best friends who decide to go for a drink at the bar one night to have some fun after spending hours shopping at the "insipid" mall. What they don't know is what the hell happened that night when they wake up the next morning. (Possible pairings later?)
1. Chapter 1

_**Black Tonic**_

* * *

Vanitas' intrepid, yellow eyes rolled towards the high ceiling of the shopping mall as he pushed passed his friends in a huff. The two were known to be provocative with their teasing and made it a point to giggle about his "feminine hip sway" which was ironic considering Zexion strutted as if he were on the catwalk constantly. Axel never dared to say anything as Zexion's 5' and 6" scrawny frame was constructed out of pure evil and fury from the depths of Hell that could make Satan himself flee.

The trio entered a dimly lit clothing store where mostly everything was black and the long lamps hanging from the ceiling barely illuminated all four corners of the small space. Through the speakers played modern punk and edgy rock music that none of them knew the lyrics to. There were young girls with green, blue, and jet black hair styled into choppy layers and boys in skinny jeans, spiked bracelets and large gauges in their ears. Axel immediately felt like the wrong puzzle piece being jammed to fit into another- he just didn't fit in and felt the stares of the employees and customers. Vanitas and Zexion however blended in with the crowd as their wardrobes mostly consisted of black attire and their hair styles matched the scene as well- especially Zexion's choppy, long bangs that covered half his face.

Axel stuck around the perimeter, not finding any of the items interesting. He wondered how someone could actually like the taste of the clothing here and comfortably wear black pants and leather jackets in the heat of summer.

Vanitas caught eye of something black of course, but this shirt was different than any of the ones he owned. It was a button down shirt that mimicked the material of denim and had leather straps that crossed in the back and wrapped over the shoulders, attaching to the symmetrical pockets on the chest. The sleeves were looped with black string into a corset style and tied in a knot, leaving the access material to dangle. He thought this style would look great with his sleeve tattoos and his new pair of faded gray jeans.

"Now this is what I want." He said with a smug grin, lifting the shirt from the rack and examining it from front to back. The tag dangled from the sleeve and he flipped it open. "Like hell I'm paying that price." His eyes quickly scanned the area around him, noting where the employees were as he pretended to look interested in the other items on the rack. When he constructed a path to the fitting rooms on the other side of the shop, he began pulling shirts from the rack and laying them on his arm.

Axel knew something was wrong when Vanitas pulled a "My Little Pony" t-shirt into his arms and briskly walked over. "You're gonna pay for that?" He asked in confusion, pointing a finger to the shirt. His friend didn't reply and instead pulled a top depicting Marilyn Monroe off the rack and added it to his pile. "What are you-"

"Shopping." He spat. His tone was cold as ice like a demonic villain. "I'm shopping. Now leave me alone." Nodding slowly and taking a few steps back, Axel decided it was best to just walk away. Vanitas was well known to not pay for things and shoplifted a few times per week. He figured he found something he wanted and was doing the "changing room method" in order to steal it. He would tell the employees he was "trying on" a handful of random shirts and once in the room, would snip of any tags and slip on the item he wanted under his sweatshirt. Once he pulled another shirt from the rack, he strutted around the perimeter and made his way to the changing rooms.

"Are we leaving this insipid place?"

Axel's heart jumped out of his chest as he spun around to the voice behind him. He sighed in relief when he realized it was just Zexion, looking as pissed as ever as he drummed his fingers against his rail thin arm. The guy was like a cat; he never made a sound and seemed to appear out of thin air and it just so happened that he hated water and was an annoying bitch when he wanted attention.

"Nope." He replied, frowning one side of his mouth. "Van's _buying_ a shirt." Zexion nodded slowly, understand the meaning of the emphasis. It was inevitable, really as they had been wandering through the mall for what seemed like hours and he hadn't lifted a single thing.

Zexion sighed, his breath lifted his long bangs away from his face momentarily. The exhaustion of being in public withered him down to the bone and he was dying to lay down somewhere dark and quiet.

Within seconds, Vanitas came jaunting over with an extra spring in his step as if he had just made date plans with a crush. "Ready to go?" He asked with more enthusiasm than usual as a smile curled to corners of his lips. The two scanned him from head to toe, wondering what exactly he stole under his gray sweatshirt.

When they exited the dark place and adjusted their eyes to the bright lights of the mall, Vanitas couldn't help but bounce on his heels.

"Do you know how much that was? 110 bucks!" Axel nodded, pretending to be interested as they made their way out through the large, exit doors of the mall. "I saved myself that much money, can you believe it? Who charges that much for a fucking shirt?" Stealing for Vanitas was like getting high- it pumped him full of adrenaline and made him feel a bit more alive and neither of his friends understood any of it. No matter how many times Axel criticized his decisions or warned him of the consequences, Vanitas turned the other way with some kind of justification for it. His most used excuse was to 'save money' or to 'sell it for needed cash' and it was true that he needed some cash as he was in debt from a car accident last October, but he never did sell any of the things he stole and the items he lifted were never necessary.

The sun hung in the afternoon sky, slowly falling towards the horizon as the evening rolled around. The pavement caught the burning rays of light and seemed to exhume them, causing the trio to drip sweat as soon as they stepped foot onto the parking lot. The heat was suffocating and it dried up the soil where the small palm trees were planted that divided the lot's aisles. The sun's reflection on the cars blinded them no matter where they turned as the parking lot was packed full.

Once they made it to Axel's red Ford Fusion that smelled of greasy fast food, Vanitas plopped in the passenger seat and cranked the AC on high while quickly pulling his sweatshirt over his head, revealing the stolen black top he eyed earlier. "Doesn't it look sick?" He asked, pulling the shirt down to smooth out any wrinkles.

Axel shoved the key into the ignition and turned it a few times. It always took a few tries to get his beat up car to start as it was fairly old and had thousands of miles on it. He also had no idea of its history as he got it for really cheap without any questions asked. "Looks great." He said sarcastically as he jerked the car into reverse and exited out of the parking lot behind a line of cars.

As they pulled up to the intersection, they realized they wouldn't be pulling into the driveway any time soon. Traffic was backed from nose to tail and cars were moving at the pace of sap on a tree. Despite the light turning green, Axel couldn't go anywhere as cars blocked the intersection from all directions as they slammed on their horns and drivers shouted out their windows. Axel edged closer in attempt for someone to let him in, but ended up slamming on his breaks and rocking the empty drink cups on the floor. Nobody allowed a big enough gap for him to turn into. He punched the steering wheel a few times, shaking his fist at some guy in a convertible.

Vanitas rolled his eyes and rolled down the window, the scent of fries and burgers hitting his nose made making his stomach growl. He leaned back in the seat and propped his feet up on the dashboard while reaching into the cup holder for a cigarette. It was going to be a long ride home.

In the back, Zexion boringly stared out the window, fantasizing about going home to the peace and quiet and solitude of his room- it's what he looked forward to everyday.

Axel's grip tightened on the steering wheel and they all knew his temper was hanging on by a thread. He was always an aggressive driver, especially when it came to heavy traffic. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but the heat, the honking of the horns, and the idiots not letting him onto the road was too much to handle and he rolled down his window.

"Move the fuck over you cock dick!" He screamed at the man in a red SUV, shaking his fist and slamming his fist on his horn. The man either didn't notice or ignored him because the asshole inched even closer to the car in front of him, narrowing the gap. "Damn it!" Axel shouted, slamming his palm on the wheel.

Vanitas tapped his index finger on his cigarette, causing the hot tobacco to fall off onto the pavement. "I say floor it."

Zexion shook his head and sighed. "I say no."

Axel's grip tightened. "I say shut the hell up!" Both of their mouths closed and it was quiet in the car until Vanitas turned the radio on to some heavy metal band playing with gravely, shouting vocals and heavy guitar riffs.

Eventually, they were able to pull onto the main road and merge onto the highway, but the traffic didn't stop there. Axel found himself in the right lane, beside the man in the convertible with his foot on the break. He tried his best to bite his tongue, but that guy was a cunt and he needed the man to know how much he loathed him.

He leaned his head out the window. "Hey, you!" He shouted. The man in the business suit gave a questioning glare, cocking his head to the side. "Go suffocate in your mother's cunt you fucking piece of shit!" Vanitas howled with laughter as his eyes filled with tears and Axel's lips curled into a proud smirk as he rolled up his window, leaving the guy to stare in shock, processing what was just said to him.

Zexion rolled his eyes.

It was a long ride home.


	2. Chapter 2

"Home sweet home!" Axel shouted happily as he kicked his apartment door in. Zexion's face coiled as the heavy scent of burnt popcorn and greasy pizza entered his nostrils. The place was cluttered full of random things that needed to be cleaned up like wrappers and empty soda cans. He did spot a vacuum, but it was currently being used as a place to hang clothes on. Zexion wondered when the last time Axel cleaned his place was. "Should we order out?" Axel asked, plopping on the stained sofa and resting his ankle on his knee.

Vanitas thought for a moment. "I don't see how we can get free delivery…Got anything here?"

Axel slapped his palm against his forehead with a groan. "Why do you have to steal everything?" Groaning, he vaulted over the back of his couch and stood face to face with his fridge, noticing how quiet Zexion was. "You hungry, Zex?" He asked, opening his freezer full of ice cream boxes.

Zexion simply shrugged and glanced over at the porch outside. "Not particularly, no."

Axel shoved a stack of empty boxes to the right and found a bag of chicken nuggets and French fries. "I hit the jackpot, guys!" He squealed in delight, swiping the bags from the freezer. "I forgot I bought these!" Slamming the door shut, he tossed the bags onto his stove. Meanwhile, Zexion slipped through the sliding doors silently and lit up a cigarette outside. "Okay, so how do I make these?"

Sighing, Vanitas helped him heat up the fatty foods without setting the place on fire. They dumped the entire bags onto a single baking sheet and shoved it into the oven, checking on their food every few minutes with disappointment. They were simply too impatient. Axel was practically drooling once the smell coated the air.

Vanitas took the sheet out of the oven and grabbed a bottle or sriracha sauce from the fridge and scooped a large pile of the artery clogging food onto his plate with a spatula, coating everything in the spicy sauce. Axel however preferred his pile of ketchup on the side. Sitting at the small round table, Vanitas couldn't help but notice Zexion outside.

"I take it he's not eating?" Axel guessed, dipping a fry into his mountain of ketchup. Vanitas frowned and shrugged, staring down at his plate, no longer interested in eating. "You know, the last time I saw him eat was when he got drunk at Shiki's party last year. That kid can eat a lot."

Vanitas forced air out of his nose amusingly with a smile. "Yeah, that was a pretty rad night." He popped a nugget into his mouth, watching Zexion bring the cigarette to his lips and puffing out a cloud of smoke.

Axel swallowed a bite. "How is she anyways? I mean, I don't know if you see her or not since the-"

"She works as a barista at the club on Alleyway Street." His voice seemed a bit colder.

Axel simply nodded, figuring it was best to shut up. Shiki had dated Vanitas previously and their breakup wasn't exactly pretty as it ended with verbal and physical fights as well as broken dishes.

The two cleaned their plates in silence.

After wiping his mouth, Vanitas headed onto the porch, startling Zexion a bit. He stood next to his shorter friend and rested his elbows on the wooden porch railing, staring into the backyard.

"Hey." He greeted softly, noticing how pale Zexion was up close and how his cheeks seemed to cave in- revealing his prominent, high cheek bones. "You don't want anything to eat?" He clasped his hands together.

"I'm not hungry." He breathed.

His golden eyes narrowed into Zexion's icy blue ones, trying to find some sort of secret within his expression, but he found none. A cool fall breeze swept between them, causing their locks to paint the wind.

Vanitas bit his lip, trying to piece together what to say without seeming too harsh or concerned. "I'm worried about you, man." He nudged his bony shoulder with a playful smirk. Zexion didn't react. "You don't look healthy."

He scoffed. "Says the one who thinks a bottle of gin is an exceptional breakfast."

They watched a squirrel scurry up an oak tree.

"Well," Vanitas chuckled, "I-" The sliding door thrust open and slammed shut.

"Hello!" Sang Axel as he stepped in between them. His long arms curled around their necks. "Isn't it a beautiful day?" He breathed in through his nose in exaggeration. "Ah, don't you just love the smell of autumn?" Zexion tried shrugging his arm off and Vanitas rolled his eyes. Axel leaned his head in between their ears. "How's about we hit the club tonight, huh? Us guys having some good times with some good drinks and hot chicks... How does that sound?" He shook both of them, coaxing them to answer. "Huh? Huh?"

"I'm fucking broke, remember?" Stated Vanitas. "I'm still paying off the car I totaled. Not to mention the insane hospital bill from last year."

Axel looked towards the sky in thought. He had forgotten Vanitas wrecked his car last October. He had been speeding on the mountainside road carelessly in the middle of the night and ended up swerving into a tree, trying to avoid a black bear crossing the street. He ended up breaking a few bones and his car was a complete wreck. "I'll pay." He said slyly with a grin.

Vanitas turned around. "Alright, I'm sold. What about you, Zex?"

He was silent for a few minutes.

"Alright, I'll go."

The other two cheered.

xXxXxXxXxXxX

The icy winds of fall lifted the goose bumps on their exposed skin as the trio stood in line, waiting to enter the age restricted club known as The Salt Tavern. Young people came here to have a good time, let loose and have some sloppy sex in the bathrooms as well as do drug deals in the parking lot. It was a well known to have the police show up a few times a night. Once the very buff bouncer checked their ID's, they were let in.

It was surprisingly cozy and warm inside and it didn't seem like the place junkies would hang out. Nearly everything was made of mahogany and soft jazzy music played in the background. The place seemed upscale and classy except the people that were in it. A bunch of jocks sat in the corner, cheering on one of their friends to chug and entire bottle of whiskey, a group of skimpy dressed women sat on the leather couches by the fire place, laughing about stories from high school. And there at the bar sat a woman with long blonde curls beside a man with long, choppy hair covering his face. They seemed to keep to themselves.

Despite it being a lot warmer inside, Zexion was still shivering and hugging himself tightly. He even made sure to wear two pairs of socks with his combat boots. The three sat at a booth adjacent to the bar. There was a half wall separating the two areas- the top half of that wall was shatterproof glass and was hard to see through, but they noticed the shape of the bartender as she prepared drinks.

"So, who wants a drink? It's on me." Axel smiled, gently slamming his fist onto the table in excitement. He nudged Zexion who sat beside him. "Huh? Huh?"

"We'll catch up with you in a little. Zexion needs to warm up." Intervened Vanitas, giving Axel the 'fuck off' glare he used too much. Nodding slowly and mouthing an "okay", Axel got up to sit at the bar, leaving the two under the dim orange lamp above them.

"Hey, are you alright, man?" He asked with concern. A barista carrying a platter full of wine glasses walked by and Vanitas thought her ass looked cute and watched her turn the corner, swaying her hips. He then turned his attention back to his friend.

Zexion picked at the old table, peeling off the dark finish. "I would say I'm alright, yes."

Vanitas was done being blunt as it was getting him nowhere. "Dude, something's bugging with you. You don't eat, you don't sleep, and you're always so…" He searched his mind for words that weren't so harsh. "Depressed." He drummed his black painted fingers on the table anxiously, wondering if he had said anything regrettable.

Zexion sat back and raised a brow, narrowing his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he stared down into his lap. It was silent between them, but Vanitas didn't bother prying out any answers, hoping the silence would coax him to open up or say _something._

"Let's leave it for a Star Wars drive." He said softly as the corners of his mouth struggled to form a smirk.

"Star Wars drive? Dude it isn't gonna snow for another month and do you really trust me to drive in the snow at night?" He stifled a laugh and gently punched his arm. "When was the last time we went on one of those anyway?"

Zexion leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. "It's been two years if I remember correctly. You were adamant in taking me on Christmas Eve." He forced air out of his nose amusingly, smiling as he did so. "And then you started making Chewbacca noises."

Vanitas showed his teeth as his body shook with laughter. He remembered that night all too well. When he was younger before his parents separated, his father would wake him up in the middle of the night if it was snowing and they hopped into the truck, trying not to wake his mother up. His father took him down empty roads as the snow hit the windshield causing the "Star Wars" effect. He couldn't help but smile, remembering when everything was right in the world. He passed that tradition on with Zexion and they have done it ever since Vanitas got his license in high school. He missed not being able to do it last year, but he had no car and was recovering from his injuries still.

It was silent between them for a few moments before Vanitas suggested they get a couple of drinks. The two took a seat beside Axel.

"Took you guys long enough!" Exclaimed their red-headed friend as he took a sip from his amber liquid."What are you guys getting? I got myself a Numb Snake."

Vanitas thought for a moment. "I think I'll have the Arctic Hell as usual."

Axel nodded and the bartender leaned over the counter, showing off her large chest. Vanitas couldn't help but stare. "So what's it gonna be for you?" She asked. When Vanitas told her what he wanted with a wink, she rolled her eyes, chewing the purple bubble gum in her mouth like a cow would eat hay. "And for tiny?" She pointed the end of her pen at Zexion. Zexion took his time examining the menu and the bottles of liquor on display. There seemed to be hundreds of different cocktails and combinations of drinks. "Come on, I don't got all day."

"I'll have a Black Tonic."

She dropped her pen and Axel choked on his drink.

"I'm sorry a wha-"

"Black Tonic." Zexion repeated firmly and slowly, making sure every letter was pronounced clearly.

She nodded her head and turned around, mumbling something to herself.

After Axel's intense coughing fit he wiped his mouth. His eyes were watering and teary from the choking. "Are you insane? Do you know why they call it a Black Tonic? Even I can't drink that!" Axel was oblivious to Zexion's drinking habits with hard liquors. His first experience with a bottle of whiskey occurred when he was eleven as his father never thought to lock up his booze. Since that first sip, he wondered why anyone wouldn't want to be black out drunk. He had taken a couple shots of Black Tonic before and was completely knocked out, but he was determined to beat his record tonight. The alcoholic drink was very strong and wasn't even listed on the menu, but he knew the secret menus of the taverns all too well.

Zexion just sat there stiffly and proudly smirking. Vanitas wasn't shocked as he figured he was just going to have a shot of it and be done. There was no way he could stand the taste after the first shot or two.

The blonde bartender came back and slid Vanitas his drink and hesitantly slid the glass of the shadowy liquid to Zexion. "I'm not responsible for whatever happens to ya." She shook her head and talked to the ceiling, saying something along the lines of 'oh Jesus' as Zexion enthusiastically picked up the drink and examined it at eye level. She turned her back when he swirled the liquid around, liking the inky color. Vanitas took a sip of his icy blue drink and never took his eyes off his best friend.

Axel was frozen, completely shocked his friend would choose the hardest liquor there was. Zexion tipped his head back and poured the booze down his throat in one swallow, slapping the glass down on the counter in satisfaction.

"I'll have another."

Axel nearly fainted as Vanitas stared in amazement. The corners of his open mouth turned upwards.

After Zexion downed about 6 shots and Axel and Vanitas had their fair share of alcohol, things started to seem a bit blurry and for once Zexion felt warm. He cracked a smile when he raised his finger to order another, but Axel quickly interjected, saying that they were going home now. Vanitas was impressed with Zexion's ability to drink that much tonic and encouraged him to drink more.

Zexion was adamant in ordering another one, but the bill was adding up. That beverage wasn't exactly cheap. Their drunken friend was upset and attempted to start a fist fight, only to trip over his own feet and fall to the ground. As the bartender slid the bill across the counter, Axel dug out the remaining money he kept in his pocket. That was forty bucks he wasn't getting back.

He sighed. "Let's go, Zexion."

A groan came from his throat as he used the stool as a crutch to stand up. "One more drink."

Axel shook his head and turned around to make his way out the door.

The woman behind the bar came rushing over with her cell phone in her hand, her massive tits bouncing with every step. "Can I get a picture to put up on the wall of fame?" She asked. Both Vanitas and Axel gave questioning glares. She pointed to the other side of the room. "Over there we have pictures of people who won drinking contests. Tiny here didn't enter a contest, but he's the first person to have downed that many Tonics!" They both agreed because why the hell not? Their friend would be famous in the bar. Zexion struggled to keep himself standing as she snapped the picture. "Done! Hey you know, next time you come back around here I'll make sure you get a nice drink on the house." She winked at Axel, but Vanitas didn't notice and instead looked flattered.

"Oh, you don-"

"Not you!" She snapped at Vanitas who now looked completely offended. She slid her neon pink painted finger under Axel's jaw with a flirtatious smirk. He immediately tensed up and looked extremely uncomfortable as her silver bangles clanged against each other to the sound of a wind chime. He faked a smile to keep her happy. "Call me." She said just above a whisper, shoving a napkin into his chest before walking off and swinging her hips. Her number was written in permanent marker with an imprint of her pink lips at the bottom corner.

Vanitas glared daggers at his friend in jealousy. When they turned their attention back to Zexion, they quickly noticed he was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't passed out on the floor or anywhere in the room. Axel cursed under his breath and Vanitas simply laughed. Zexion was as quiet as a cat despite being so drunk.

Zexion couldn't tell left from right and couldn't tell which room was the men's bathroom. He just swung open the closest one and staggered inside. He caught a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror where phone numbers were scribbled in black marker. There were also lipstick traces and splatters of what appeared to be ink. He didn't recognize himself right away as his vision was blurred and it felt as if he were on a never ending ride on a carousel.

He stepped closer towards the mirror and placed his palms on each side of the sink, staring at himself. His stomach began to churn violently like a mixer had turned on inside him. Nausea hit him like a brick as he clutched the sides of the sink, sweat pouring from his head as he did so. He threw up into the sink and struggled to keep his balance, nearly falling over. Slowly, he backed himself against the navy blue painted stone wall behind him and slid downwards until his ass met the concrete floor. The last thing he saw before passing out was a cherry haired woman gasping as she entered the restroom.


End file.
